Saturday letters

I saw another global warming denial letter in the Tallahassee Democrat. I believe this was about the 143rd such published by your paper over the past dozen years, and I hope you are keeping a scrapbook of these to pull out when you want to prompt a discussion on the role of journalism in society.

I am glad to report that recently a serious contribution to resolving the issue was published: “National Security and the Accelerating Risks of Climate Change.” The 16 retired U.S. generals and admirals of the Military Advisory Board, citizens with a deep knowledge of long-term global challenges, in this report wrote: “Each citizen must ask what he or she can do individually to mitigate climate change, and collectively what his or her local, state, and national leaders are doing to ensure that the world is sustained for future generations.”

DONALD M. AXELRAD

daxe@comcast.net

VA gives great care

That cartoon bashing VA services on Friday’s Opinion page sure didn’t reflect the outstanding care I recently received both at the outpatient clinic in Tallahassee and the regional hospital in Gainesville.

Not only was my primary physician both thorough in his examination and quick to arrange followup appointments with specialists, but each of those visits also resulted in great service.

In Gainesville, the orthopedic surgeon provided me with a full rundown of the X-rays that were taken, a really helpful brace for my arthritic knee and a promise of replacement surgery if I ever felt the need.

Back in Tallahassee, the audiologist’s exam revealed typical hearing loss for an 81-year-old. He, too, offered hearing aids if I wanted. The podiatrist set up orthotics and special shoes for my arthritic ankle, and the physical therapist gave me everything from a cane to a grab bar, shower chair and special shower head along with a whole series of exercises for all the aches and pains.

All of this was free except for the basic co-pay, promptly delivered and accompanied with the promise of future help whenever I asked. Not bad for two years in the Army more than a half century ago. Thanks, VA. This vet says you do a great job.

ANDY LINDSTROM

andrewflindstrom@bellsouth.net

A ‘humanist’ replies

Re: “America isn’t soulless” (letter, May 15).

I suppose I am one of the so-called secular humanists Joel Thornton is talking about, although his convoluted ramblings make it difficult to say precisely.

I believe in science, separation of church and state and education based on facts as we know them, and I support the arts. Thornton apparently misses the irony of labeling people who don’t practice a particular religion conformist. What the Constitution affirms is that we are free to believe or disbelieve anything we want so long as we obey the law and do not harm others. Thornton is free to believe that I am soulless because I do not conform to his ideology, and I am free to believe that lumping together everyone who does not march in lockstep with a particular belief is idiotic and, taken to extremes, harmful (see World History: Antiquity to Present).

I hear a lot of blather these days about the loss of religious freedom in this country. What these people are really talking about is the freedom to impose their own beliefs on the rest of us. If being against that makes me a secular humanist, then I accept the rather vague and unimaginative label proudly.

The wolf went missing after torrential downpours destroyed parts of the preserve’s structure. According to FWC officials, attempts to capture Chaco with bait were unsuccessful. The officers decided to kill the wolf instead.

I am not writing to question the FWC actions but to shed light on how the killing of Chaco feeds into a larger problem. As wolves were removed from the endangered species list in the Northern Rockies and Great Lakes regions, individual states assumed the management of their wolf populations, independent of federal control.

Many states with current wolf populations have created wolf management plans that call for increased killing of wolves in response to livestock and public-safety complaints.

Though there is no record of a wild wolf ever attacking a person in the United States, myths and fears regarding wolves, as well as competition for land and prey continue to threaten the very existence of this essential predator.

Sadly, programs such as Seacrest, which aim to erase the stigma that wolves are evil, violent creatures and show them for what they truly are — social, family-oriented, and highly adaptable predators — have been dealt yet another blow with the killing of Chaco. The killing of Chaco perpetuates the belief that these animals have no use and need to be eliminated. This is not the case. Though the death of Chaco is a tragedy, I hope it serves to awaken the public interest in animal welfare issues, especially those that directly impact the ecosystem of the state in which they live.

MELONIE DAVILA

2nd Congressional District leader volunteer, The Humane Society of the United States

melonie.davila@gmail.com

Still upset by FSU logo

Without consulting most of its fans or the majority of its supporters, those in power at FSU decided to submit to pressure from Nike and change the FSU logo. No one that I have talked to likes the logo, and no one that I talked to was consulted.

The message from FSU is that we are bigger than our fan base. We do not care what the rank and file think. It is almost enough to make you want to turn in your tickets and stop contributing to the Seminoles. I will not go that far because I love FSU and the Seminoles. However, I am decidedly unhappy with the new logo. I resent very much the way FSU handled this whole thing.